This invention relates to a foot support. More particularly, this invention relates to a foot support for an item such as a leg of a table, cabinet or the like.
Heretofore, various types of foot supports have been manufactured for installation in items, such as a leg of a table, a cabinet, or the like, in order to support the items in an elevated manner on a support surface when used in an environment, such as a commercial kitchen, where the surfaces on which the foot supports rest are exposed to corrosive materials and require frequent cleaning, the foot supports have been made of materials, such as stainless steel, to resist corrosion and to allow frequent cleaning without losing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. However, such foot supports have become relatively expensive to manufacture and are relatively heavy.
It is also known to make the foot supports of adjustable components so that one component may be secured within the item to be supported while another component is threaded into the first component to support the item on a support surface while being exposed to being manually rotated. Rotation of the exposed component allows the supported item to be raised or lowered relative to the support surface.
Foot supports have also been known which are made solely of plastic components in order to reduce the cost of manufacture. However, the exposed components are subject to wear and damage over time due to impacts from cleaning devices and machines and may not present a sterile appearance.
In many cases, the foot supports have been subjected to relatively heavy static loads. For example, the foot supports have been used to support relatively heavy tables as well as the weight of heavy objects placed on the tables. Also, the foot supports have been subjected to impact forces, such as from heavy objects being dropped on the tables, or from movements of the tables across a floor or from the tables being lifted and dropped. In cases where the foot supports have been made of plastic, the plastic parts of the foot support may fail by shattering under the impact forces. Accordingly, plastic foot supports made of plastic have a lower load rating than metal foot supports. For example, a metal foot support may have a rating in excess of 1,000 pounds while plastic foot supports usually have a load rating of no more than 200 pounds.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a foot support of light weight construction for use in supporting an item in a corrosive environment.
It is another object of the invention to reduce the cost of fabricating a foot support construction with an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
It is another object of the invention to provide a foot support of plastic load-bearing elements capable of resisting large static loads and impact loads.
It is another object of the invention to provide a plastic foot support with a high load rating.
Briefly, the invention provides an adjustable foot support which is comprised of a hollow plastic housing having an internally threaded bore and a plastic tubular toe having an external thread mating with the internally threaded bore of the housing for adjustable movement of the toe relative to the housing. The construction is such that the plastic housing may be mounted in an item, such as the base of a cabinet or the bottom of a leg of a table to receive the weight of the item while the tubular toe receives the weight of the item via the mating threads of the housing and toe.
The plastic housing and toe are made of different materials to enhance structural load capabilities of each part. The housing is made of a material that is able to withstand a large static load to improve the strength of its thin wall sections. Conversely, since the structure and the shape of the toe provide for large static load capabilities, the toe is made of a material to improve the impact characteristics of the part. The housing is made of a homopolymer polypropylene and the toe is made of a copolymer polypropylene. This allows a completely assembled foot to support both higher static loads and impact forces than are typically found in existing plastic foot assemblies. Overall, the foot support is constructed to have a rating of 1,000 pounds.
The tubular toe is easily rotated within the plastic housing to permit vertical adjustments of the supported item relative to a floor or other support surface on which the tubular foot rests.
The invention further provides a metal sleeve, for example, of stainless steel which is disposed over the tubular toe and extends to the external thread on the toe so as to be received within the plastic housing when in use. This sleeve provides a non-corrosive surface to the outside of the toe and presents an appearance that the entire foot support is made of metal. In addition, should the sleeve become damaged over time, the sleeve may be removed and replaced with a new sleeve without having to replace the tubular toe.
The invention also provides a metal collar, for example of stainless steel, which is secured to the lower end of the housing and is disposed about the metal sleeve on the tubular toe to retain the toe in the housing. When the foot support is mounted in an item to be supported, only the metal collar and the metal sleeve are exposed to view. Thus, the appearance of the support foot is that of a metal support foot. In addition, when using a metal, such as stainless steel, the foot support may be readily cleaned without corroding, particularly in commercial kitchen environments.
By using plastic components, the cost of manufacturing the foot support can be reduced. In addition, the use of plastic components reduces the overall weight of the foot support.